Ben Gvir Wins This Round as Police Commissioner Names His Preferred Candidate

Half a year after the Israel Police legal adviser, Chief Superintendent Elazar Kahana, announced his resignation, Police Commissioner Danny Levi yesterday, Monday, announced the appointment of Major General Iran Nahon to one of the most sensitive posts in the organization.

Nahon, who received from Ben Gvir the rank of major general, equivalent in the Prison Service to the rank of police commander, currently serves as the legal adviser of the Israel Prison Service and enjoys the support and favor of Minister Ben Gvir, after implementing the latter’s policy, particularly regarding the “governance” the Prison Service displays toward security prisoners. Levi’s announcement ended a six month saga over the appointment, which included a confrontation between Ben Gvir and Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara, alongside the commissioner’s futile efforts to appoint an officer from within the police ranks. The bottom line is that Ben Gvir won this round and ultimately got the appointment he wanted, even if he pretended he was interested in appointing his close associate, his legal adviser, attorney David Bbli. He said he would stand on his hind legs, but that, it turns out, did not happen.

As a reminder, at the end of the year Kahana announced his retirement from his post and from the police. Kahana was regarded as an adviser in opposition to Ben Gvir, who tried, through the commissioner, to remove Kahana from his post and was blocked by the attorney general. Among other things, Kahana opposed the promotion of Meir Suissa, the police officer who was documented throwing stun grenades at protesters on Ayalon, and supported promoting Inspector Rinat Saban to the rank of subcommander. He also appeared in court alongside Saban during her petition against Ben Gvir. In March he left the police, and מאז the post has remained vacant. With the announcement of his retirement, the race to determine his replacement effectively began.

Ben Gvir wanted someone appointed to the post who would implement his policy and said he had three candidates, two of them from outside the police and the third from within it, Deputy Superintendent Udi Ronen, whom he appointed head of the police incitement unit and who faces opposition within the organization. The commissioner, by contrast, said he intended to appoint an officer from within the police ranks and said he would stand on his hind legs to determine who would serve as police legal adviser. That, it turns out, did not happen.

Ben Gvir got what he wanted from the outset. The commissioner? He did not stand on his hind legs. A few months ago Ben Gvir officially announced that his candidate for the post was attorney David Bbli, who serves as his legal adviser in the Ministry of National Security. That was only a dummy candidate, meant to make noise. Bbli is a lawyer of only six years’ standing and was questioned by police as part of an investigation into suspicions of irregularities in the distribution of firearms under Ben Gvir’s reform. It was clear to everyone that this appointment was highly problematic and would meet opposition from the attorney general, Gali Baharav Miara. It was clear to Ben Gvir as well. But he got what he wanted.

As expected, the attorney general announced her opposition to Bbli’s appointment, and Ben Gvir was given another opportunity to pick a fight and claim that she was once again putting obstacles in his way after the government had already fired her. And the commissioner? He did not really stand on his hind legs and again chose a middle path. Nahon’s name as a candidate for police legal adviser had come up already about three months earlier, and at the time the commissioner was less enthusiastic. As recalled, he wanted an officer from within the police. He was less eager for an officer identified with Ben Gvir’s policy in the Prison Service. On the other hand, he also did not want Bbli in the post and feared he would be imposed on him. For appearances’ sake, Ben Gvir continued to insist on Bbli, but supported Nahon’s appointment to the post, and today, when the commissioner announced the appointment, one to which the attorney general has no reason to object, he quickly issued a statement of support that says it all. Nahon is his preferred candidate, and Ben Gvir got what he wanted from the outset, to appoint someone to the post who would implement his policy.